Читать книгу The bride of the silver dragon - Dmitry Nazarov - Страница 14

I try to shake off his hands, but he grabbed me so tenaciously that from the outside it looks more like a tug of war. That alone might cost me a couple of bruises.

– Let me go! I slightly raise my voice out of annoyance, and this turns out to be enough for the lunnik to immediately open his fingers and even expressively put his hands behind his back. What is your habit of sneaking up on people? In your expensive universities, don’t they teach the elementary rules of decency?

He takes a step back too, but it’s such a show of courtesy that it doesn’t make things any better. Although there is still something good in this – at least now I am not drowning in a cloud of his tart perfume. Because the smell… oh, it’s dizzying, especially that incomprehensible devilry with bitterness in an almost standard “bouquet” of sage and lavender. I thought only my, God forgive me, son-in-law R’Ran loves all sorts of gourmet “stinks”, but he is definitely far from this lunar.

– Everything is good? – I hear an insinuating, almost whispered question. – Do not be silent, Margot, otherwise I will write down this pause to my account.

– What? – I try to retreat a little more, but I run into a damned lamppost with my back and have to return to my previous positions.

– Well, for example, that you are subdued, dumbfounded, embarrassed… by our sudden and very successful meeting.

– You could do with checking the level of impudence, – finally, I come to my senses. – In my opinion, you have already overflowed and splashed out.

“For the sake of the Moon, Margot, I’m sorry I messed up your day with my obscene liquids.

Yes, to him!..

I purse my lips as hard as I can to keep from laughing at a good joke, but it’s useless because my cheeks still stretch as if by themselves. The snag leans even closer, studies my face intently – and what happens is what I sometimes see in the worst nightmares.

We laugh.

Together.

Margo Sheremetyeva, a zealous opponent of all Lunniks and their policies, laughs heartily and excitedly at the joke of one of them.

Someone upstairs clearly decided to ruin my day.

– You have an amazing smile, Margot, – Shad’Far praises, his cursed voice filling with a sweet, almost mesmerizing rumble. – I mean, I’d like to say I’m fascinated, but that’s been a long time no secret to any of us.

– And your tongue is well suspended, – I do not allow myself to drown in a velvet baritone.

– I was just making a compliment, Margo.

– Then I’m happy to return it so you can give it to a more suitable woman. – She’s in just the right mood.

Lunar’s incomprehension betrays a couple of shallow wrinkles on his forehead, and I allow myself to enjoy his slightly stupid expression on his face. And then I expressively step aside, showing that the path to the door is clear.

– Your fiancee, Koryaga, is probably already waiting. Just a little tip, if you’ll excuse me – before ordering drinks, wait until she expresses her bile. And how would you not get sick.

I deliberately go around him in a wide arc and even manage to get to the side of the road to try to hail a taxi, but he catches up and turns me around again. But this time I’m already mentally prepared and easily release my elbow from his tenacious claw.

– Stop grabbing me in front of people! – I say in a loud whisper. – You have already “worked” enough on my reputation – how to now wash and scrub off, and scrape off the dirt of your moon squabbles.

– Have you met A’Lta? – The snag does not seem to hear my entire angry tirade. – So that’s why you’re here. Did she invite you to talk? Threatened? Showed photos?

– Yes. – Although my tongue itches to say much more than this one-syllable statement.

– Margo, I assure you, and I swear to the moon, I have nothing to do with this. And if he knew that A’Lta was capable of this, he would definitely take action.

– What kind? Put her on a chain? Cut out your tongue? Stuck in a madhouse?

“Something less radical, but no less effective. – Even now he is trying to smooth out the sharp corners of my indignation.

I would sincerely appreciate these efforts, if not for one “but”.

– If you hadn’t broken into my house with your broom then, none of this would have happened, and nothing would have had to be fixed! – Next time, before you do something, think about the consequences. It is strange that you, Mr. future senator, do not know such common truths. And now, with your permission, in order not to provoke your missus into new snake attacks, I’d better retire and delete this day from my life.

No matter how strange it may be, but just at that moment, at the first wave of my hand, a taxi taxis – and I easily jump into the back seat. But Shad’Far manages to insert his “five kopecks” here too – he shoves money into the taxi driver.

– Margo, I’m… really sorry, – I hear his muffled voice through the window, but I don’t even turn my head. – Please accept my most sincere apologies.

No need to immediately write me down as a bitch, or much worse.